Learning Curve
by JadeAngel
Summary: On her first night as a Turk, Elena is visited by a few others to welcome her to the job-- some a bit nicer than others.


Pairings/Characters: Elena/Cissnei, with a bit of Reno in there, and mention of a couple of Before Crisis Turks.

Author's Note: First of all, I don't use the fandom names for the BC Turks, so don't be confused on that. Not that they have more than just a mention. Secondly, trying to bridge canons is kinda hard. o.o Written for the yurichallenge community on livejournal.

"You don't really look that much like her."

Startled, Elena nearly dropped the tie she was attempting to knot around her shirt collar turned around, her dark brown eyes searching for the speaker in the dimly lit office, where fifteen minutes earlier she had been speaking with Tseng, formally being invited into the department she had once hated with a passion. She turned to face the door first, and upon seeing no one actually there, had to fight to hide a confused look.

"Sure, you're both short and have blonde hair, but yeah. I wouldn't peg you two as sisters," the masculine voice continued, in a tone that Elena couldn't entirely decipher the meaning behind. "That and she wouldn't spook so easily. You're the rookie though, so I guess I shouldn't expect too much, eh?"

The lights in the office suddenly turned on, and Elena blinked a time or two adjust to the brightness before her eyes finally settled on a certain redhead with a huge-- and not entirely friendly, smirk on his face, leaning against the desk that she could have sword was empty five seconds again. "Uh...hi, Reno."

He looked like shit, she noted, with bags under his eyes and several bandages visible beneath the rumpled blue suit. She knew he had gotten his ass handed to him by AVALANCHE, which paved her own way into the Turks, but Elena hadn't expected to see him in the Tower. Word around the office was that he was still at the hospital, recovering from his wounds. Still, she knew she should have guessed it. Even when they first met thanks to her sister and her work in the Turks, she had learned quite quickly that Reno was as stubborn as he was skilled.

Despite his obvious discomfort, Reno was still the same snarky smartass as always. "Yo, Elena. Enjoying the suit? Looks better on Maria though."

Bristling slightly at the mention of her older sister, Elena shrugged. "If you hadn't gotten hurt, then...then..." The young woman trailed off, trying desperately to think of a comeback witty enough to impress the experienced Turk...and failing miserably.

"She'll learn," a new voice broke in, a distinctely female voice with a hint of playfulness behind it. Elena turned toward the door again to look at the newcomer, a woman just slightly older than herself with long and wavy auburn hair, dressed in the same suit as herself and Reno.

Reno also looked toward Cissnei and gave her something of a sheepish smile-- or as close to sheepish as Reno could actually get. "Hey, Cissnei," he said in a completely different tone than used with Elena, "What's up?"

Arching an eyebrow, the young woman shifted her weight to her left leg and crossed her arms, almost casually staring at the redhead. "What are you doing up and about? The doctor said you needed to stay down for another day before you're even fit for desk duty."

"...Yeah..well..." Reno paused a moment, then quickly shot back with "What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were under orders to stay out of the tower until things cool down?"

Elena quitely watched the exchange between the two, her dark brown eyes wide in slight confusion. She knew the department was in a slight state of disarray, thanks to percieved treason and various ancient summons and dramatic teenagers, as well as the whole _Zack _issue. A few details were known to her, such as the whole deal with Zirconiade, but others? She was still quite in the dark.

Shaking her head, Cissnei gestured toward the door with her left hand. "Beat it, Reno. Leave the new girl alone and get some rest."

Aside from Tseng-- and in the past Verdot...oh, and maybe Rude too, Cissnei was the only person who could order Reno around without any reprecussions later on, such as dirty pictures of marlboro's suddenly being the background image on their computer. Nick knew about that one all too well. With a bit of a sigh, Reno slipped his hands into his pockets and slunk his way over to the door, giving a slight nod over his shoulder to the two women. "Yeah, yeah, mom. Whatever you say."

With a soft giggle, Cissnei stuck her tongue out at the departing Reno, then turned her attention back to Elena. "I've not seen you since...when was that, a few years ago? You were still at the academy and in that godawful uniform."

A slight blush crept across Elena's face and she started fidgeting with her still unknotted tie. "Yeah. Dealing with my sister and generally hating the world and you all especially."

"Funny how things change..." Cissnei replied quietly, stepping over to close the gap between herself and the blonde girl before reaching up to bat away Elena's hands from the tie. "Here, let me fix that," she continued, and without waiting for Elena's approval, deftly worked her hands around the strip of fabric to tighten it into a perfect knot. "There. All perfect now."

Elena stared at the other woman for a few long moments before finally responding in a soft tone "Thank you."

"Oh, don't be shy with me! I know you've got more spunk than that!"

Forcing a smile, Elena nodded back to Cissnei. "Fine then. Thanks!"

Finally Cissnei took a step back and again crossed her arms. "...Anyway, sorry about Reno. He can be pretty nasty to the rookies, but you learn to ignore him. Except, of course, when he's actually right."

Her forced smile turned into a real one and Elena nodded back to the other woman. "How often is that?"

A soft chuckle escaped Cissnei's lips and she glanced again at the door, then back to the younger blonde girl. "Too often for his ego, that's for sure. Anyway...you holding up and all? Gotten your intiation yet?"

"...Initiation?"

The smile on Cissnei's face suddenly turned slightly more wicked and she took a step closer again. "Yeah. Every Turk gets it in some way. I had to wear a latex nurses outfit, your sister had to buy Reno's porn, and I think Nick had to get three MP's to strip for him...maybe five." She paused a moment, giggling again at the look on Elena's face as she pictured those certain things. "But since no one's gotten you yet, since most of the department's kinda...busy with other things, and Reno's busted up and Rude's dealing with AVALANCHE until you get on the field..well..."

A chill ran down Elena's back as she stared again at Cissnei. "What exactly are you going to make me do? I don't think I'd really look that good in a nurses outfit."

Cissnei hopped up on the desk behind her and crossed her legs, leaning forward slightly with her arms pushed down on the desktop. "Actually, I think you'd be really cute, but that's not what I'm going to do. See, being the new girl and all, I've got to make sure yours is something special."

The chill didn't leave, and she tilted her head slightly to the redhead, a questioning expression on her face. "Something special?" she echoed, trying to keep her voice from cracking. She couldn't deny that something about the way Cissnei was talking scared her...but she was a Turk now, dammit. She would work her way to the top of the group, doing whatever was necessary. Even if it did mean buying porn.

"Kiss me."

"...WHAT?"

Cissnei smirked in a manner rather similar to Reno. "You heard me, new girl."

Reaching her hand up to adjust her tie in a manner quite reminiscent of her sister, Elena took a step forward and rather chastely pressed her lips lightly against Cissnei's rather quickly, pulling away almost instantaneously.

Or at least...she tried to.

Immediately she felt one hand on the back of her head, pulling her forward while there was a sudden jerking of her front as her tie was pulled roughly, bringing her back up against Cissnei, her hands unwillingly pressing against the other Turks breasts in an effort to steady herself before Cissnei's mouth was on hers, forcing it open in a kiss much deeper than Elena had been expecting.

She was started for just a moment, but within seconds her hands had moved away from Cissnei's breasts and to the woman's shoulders, pushing her away as hard as she could, brown eyes wide. "Was that really necessary!?"

"Completely," came the reply from Cissnei, who actually looked rather pleased with herself despite everying as she leaned forward again, brushing a few stray bits of hair away from her face. "It's a lesson, Elena. You're going to be asked to do any number of things in this job, including kissing a woman. It might even go further, but if that's how you kiss, I hope they don't have to put up with that the rest of the way." She then winked to show she was only kidding, then hopped up off the desk. "Work on your reaction time though. Should have pushed me away sooner, by about a split second."

Elena just looked confused for a moment, causing Cissnei to laugh softly. "What? Did you think I was actually coming onto you?"

The slight blush on Elena's face was the answer, before the rookie quickly forced herself to cool down, adopting the professional look that every Turk was expected to use. Well, every Turk except Reno. He was always the exception. "Of course not!"

Cissnei only smiled again as she started to make her way out the door. "Well, keep thinking on that, Elena. It could be either."

Before Elena could reply, the auburn-haired woman was out the door, leaving the rookie standing there looking even more confused. Being the new girl was tough.


End file.
